“As we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ” John F. Kennedy
So on a last minute trip to Walmart today to buy an oversized roasting pan for my oversized turkey a gentleman in the check out line behind me said, “Thank you for the work you do for our community. I really appreciate it. Politicians work hard for their constituents and are under appreciated. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.” I was pleasantly surprised by his comment and although I don’t know him I am very grateful for his words. This last few weeks have been difficult politically (and I get it times 2). There have been some controversial issues and sometimes disagreements. What am I grateful for? The fact that I live in this amazing country where I have the freedom to choose my own point of view, honour another persons opposing views and move forward. I’m grateful for my amazing family; a husband who works hard to support his family and children who make me proud. I am grateful for the gift of parents who taught me the value of service, hard work and open mindedness. I am thankful for my mentors who have forged roads I can now travel. I am grateful for my friends and sisters who are always there; to pick me up, to raise me up and to walk beside me. I am grateful for the wonderful community of Drayton Valley but remain grateful for my Maritime roots. Gratitude means thankfulness, counting my blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that I receive. It means learning to live my life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much I’ve been given. Gratitude shifts my focus from what my life lacks to the abundance that is already present. In addition, behavioral and psychological research has shown the surprising life improvements that can stem from the practice of gratitude. Giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress. Gratitude helps those who practice gratitude to be more creative, bounce back more quickly from adversity, have a stronger immune system, and have stronger social relationships than those who don’t practice gratitude. To say I feel grateful is not to say that everything in my lives is necessarily great. It just means I am aware of my blessings.
I try(not always successfully) to practice giving thanks to appreciate life more fully and to use gratitude to help put things in their proper perspective. When things don’t go my way, I try to remember that every difficulty carries within it the seeds of an equal or greater benefit. In the face of adversity I ask myself: “What’s good about this?”, “What can I learn from this?”, and “How can I benefit from this?” This is more often than not a challenging exercise for me. But as I become oriented toward looking for things to be grateful for, I find that I begin to appreciate simple pleasures and things that I previously took for granted. Today, I will start bringing gratitude to my experiences, instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful; in this way, I’m on my way toward becoming not just grateful but maybe; just maybe a master of gratitude.
Nancy's Notes 